


Sure Thing

by justmemythoughtsandi



Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: 5 times + 1 time, 5+1, Angst, Humor, Humour, M/M, Shawngus, Shus, but just a lil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 19:14:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29176254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justmemythoughtsandi/pseuds/justmemythoughtsandi
Summary: 5 times they're not dating + 1 time... Well. I'm sure you know the rest.
Relationships: Burton "Gus" Guster/Shawn Spencer
Comments: 6
Kudos: 35





	Sure Thing

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a line from one of my own fics, because plot bunnies can strike anytime, anyplace, anywhere, anywhere...   
> I listened to an unhealthy amount of Taylor Swift while writing this. 

.i. 

"This handsome devil? As if he'd ever look my way!" Shawn exclaims, slapping Gus on the shoulder. 

Gus purses his lips and stares unblinkingly at the movie theatre usher as he tears their tickets. 

.ii.

"Oh, wait... I get it. You guys are dating. You're together. Everything makes sense," Abigail utters, a look of understanding dawning upon her pretty face in the artificial light. 

"We are not dating!" Gus insists, perhaps a little too loudly. 

Shawn is as unperturbed as always. 

"You kidding me? He was voted 'Most Likely To Succeed'. Think he's going to date me?" he says with an unaffected smirk. 

Gus decides he's had enough, although storming off might be a little dramatic. 

Whatever. Shawn doesn't get to corner the market on drama. 

.iii.

"You guys are such a cute couple." 

"We're not a couple," Gus corrects. 

"Oh," the server ( _Emma_ , according to the cursive on her name-tag) says, the confusion clear on her face. 

In her defense, Shawn _had_ just been picking an eyelash off of Gus' cheek so that he could make a wish. Although, Gus still didn't think that was enough reason for her to go jumping to conclusions. 

"He thinks I have a fear of commitment," Shawn interjects, earning him a kick to the shins - which does the job of keeping him quiet for a few blessed minutes while Gus orders their dessert. 

When she's gone, Gus' ire comes right back to the surface. 

"I'd rather if you didn't say things like that." 

Shawn doesn't do him the disservice of playing at oblivious. 

"Then what _should_ I say?" he retorts, leaning back into his chair so far that the front legs lift slightly off the floor. Gus doesn't even flinch - Shawn would have to get himself into a much more precarious position than that to worry him at this point. He won't be distracted so easily. 

"Anything else, Shawn."

"Well, you never seem to like any of my other explanations either!" Shawn whisper-yells. 

"You don't have to give an explanation! You don't have to say anything!" Gus hisses back. 

If they weren't in the middle of a crowded restaurant they'd probably be practically shouting by now. In fact, when Shawn opens his mouth he looks like he's about to start. 

He deflates at the quelling look Gus sends him, before continuing to argue at a low volume. 

"You know that doesn't come naturally to me," he protests in a whining voice. 

Gus is fully aware of that unfortunate fact. 

"Then just say something else! Say you're... dating someone else!" 

"Number one: then it'll just seem like you're my side piece. And b: Gus, are you implying I should _lie?_ I never thought I'd see the day," Shawn gasps, mock-dismay colouring his tone. 

"Like you haven't already been lying? You just implied that you _don't_ have a fear of commitment, when we both know different!" 

"Do we?" Shawn retorts, with raised brows. 

"Yes, Shawn, we do! What was your longest relationship?"

Shawn works his jaw back and forth for a minute, and Gus realises that he may have gone too far.

"I thought you were the scientist, Gus. Haven't you ever considered that _maybe_ the fact that I'm in love with you might be a contributing factor as to why I struggle to commit to anyone else?" 

He hadn't, actually. 

Which, judging by the look on Shawn's face, may have been an oversight on his part. 

They've gone so long with things unspoken that such a blunt assertion is the last thing Gus is expecting - and Gus isn't always the most deft at reacting to surprises, despite the decades of practice Shawn has given him. 

The silence feels cumbersome and Gus sweats beneath its weight. 

The waitress returns with her bouncy curls and glossy service-smile. 

Shawn drops his challenging stare. 

They eat their tiramisu. 

The pineapple makes Gus' tongue tingle, but he can't fool himself into thinking that it's the reason his stomach churns. 

.iv. 

Infiltrating this boy-scout troupe with Shawn has been a nightmare for various reasons - the central one being that now Gus is dealing with _actual_ children, not just a-certain-person-who-acts-like-one.

As always with Shawn, Gus has allowed himself to be dragged into the silliness, but if anyone asks why the whole group is 'sword fighting' with fallen tree branches, Gus is going to sell Shawn down the river as fast as possible. And someone will definitely ask since the kids' actual Scout Leaders had said they'd be back with the last of the camping gear in just a few minutes. 

"Are you guys married? My uncle says guys can get married to each other in California now." 

Gus feels blindsided, dropping his branch just in time for Shawn _and_ the tall, gangly kid to both hit him in the face with their own.

Luckily saplings don't have the density to do much damage. 

Gus makes a face and turns it towards the culprit. 

"No. And we're not dating either." 

"Why?" the red-haired kid frowns. Gus hasn't had the chance to learn any of their names, so he's just been referring to him as 'Carrot Top' in his head. He no longer feels bad for that. 

"Because he's a scaredy-cat," Shawn crouches down to inform him, his hands braced against his knees and his tone and expression utterly deadpan. 

"You take that back, Shawn," Gus insists, shooting a glare his way. 

"Make me," Shawn mouths as he straightens back up, raising a branch and an eyebrow. 

"Yellow-bellied," he taunts aloud, deftly dodging the pine-cone Gus hurls in his direction. "Lily-livered," he adds thoughtfully. 

The sounds of children giggling follow them both as Gus chases him around the picnic tables. 

The Scout Leaders return to find them both collapsed on a park bench, too exhausted to move, while the kids play tag around them. 

Gus barely notices that they're being thanked for their help, distracted as he is by the line of Shawn's throat. His head thrown back so far that he's facing the sky, his eyes closed against the glare of the sun. His pale skin stands in stark contrast against the backdrop of evergreens beyond his profile. Gus is caught in his gravity, too tired to look away for more than a moment. 

They both wave off the Scout Leaders with vague platitudes, assuring them that they'll see them later at the next meetup, even though they probably won't. In the few hours they've spent with the scouts, Shawn has almost definitely gathered all the information on them that he needs. 

As the group's chatter fades they both catch their breath. Shawn opens his eyes and turns to meet Gus' gaze. 

He feels caught all over again, exposed by the knowing look in Shawn's eyes. 

"It's not because I'm a coward," he mutters. 

"Isn't it?" Shawn asks. 

Gus stares at him, helplessly, until eventually - surprisingly - Shawn relents. 

"Fine. Next time, you can take the lead," he sighs. 

Shawn regrets the words as soon as they leave his mouth. He doesn't want to have to listen to Gus explaining to someone else why they can't be together that way. It was bad enough the first time, when he'd been the only one around to hear it. 

.v. 

1995 

"Why aren't we dating?" Shawn asks as soon as Gus has closed his locker, scaring the bejesus out of him. 

"No, seriously - Gus, c'mon, stop screaming, it's just me - why not?" 

When it no longer feels as though his heart is going to burst out through his ribs, Gus levels Shawn with his best glare, certain that his friend is messing with him. 

Then, deciding that discretion is the better part of valour, he chooses to simply walk away. 

Unfortunately, Shawn doesn't get the memo that he's being snubbed. 

"Hey!" he yells as he gives chase. It's not long before he catches up. 

Gus lasts exactly eleven pokes (his own personal best) before his resolve crumbles. With Shawn it's never a matter of 'if' but of 'when'. 

"Because we don't like boys that way, Shawn." 

"False," Shawn retorts instantly. Gus purses his lips, irritated about the fact that Shawn is right. But of course he knows. Shawn always knows. 

He changes tack. 

"Fine, because we don't like _each other_ that way." 

"Also false," Shawn argues. 

When he sees how low Gus' eyebrows come at that, he adds "really, Gus? You're gonna pretend we _still_ need the 'kissing practice'? It's been years. I think we got the hang of it a while ago", with what Gus feels is an unwarranted amount of judgement in his tone. 

If Shawn had known how briefly it would last or how bitter it would later taste, he wouldn't have been so smug to see the look of resignation on Gus' face 

Before he can get another word out, Gus interjects. 

"I can't, Shawn," he insists firmly. 

"Why not? We don't have to tell anyone if you don't want-" 

"No, Shawn. You can't just do this. Jumping in and out of my life and stirring things up like- like a tornado! I'm getting out of here. I'm going to college, gonna make something of my life. What are _you_ gonna do?" 

He hasn't even seen Shawn at school in days, and even before that his attendance had become erratic. He's been all over the place since the divorce. Gus doesn't quite know what's going on with him anymore. He smells like stale alcohol and greasy food, and Gus misses him - but he refuses to get dragged down with him. He is determined not to be yet another thing Shawn does to lash out at his father.

"I. I don't know," Shawn admits, chewing on his lip. 

Gus feels breathless, like they're at the edge of a precipice, and - unlike Shawn - he's too afraid to look or to leap. 

"Well, maybe you should figure it out." 

"But-" 

"I said no, Shawn." 

Shawn holds his hands up in surrender. "Alright, okay, I get the picture." 

They're silent for a few moments, before Shawn moves their conversation to safer, sillier pastures the rest of the walk home. Gus is relieved that Shawn never could stay quiet for long. 

Ten days later, he's gone, and Gus doesn't see him again for almost ten years. 

+

"I hope you both have a wonderful Valentine's Day, enjoy your date!" 

"Thanks," Gus replies, putting his hand on the small of Shawn's back. 

"Really? That's your strategy?" Shawn hisses as Gus guides him away from the hostess' stand. 

"I don't see the problem with it."

"It doesn't make you uncomfortable?"

"No. Actually, it pleases me," Gus says placidly, with the very same expression that always gives Shawn the urge to poke and prod at him. 

"It 'pleases' you? What kind of a sentence is that?" he teases. 

"A perfectly acceptable one, Shawn." 

"Okay, we'll circle back to that," Shawn says with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You mean I could've been pretending to date you this whole time and you wouldn't have minded?!" he continues as they take their seats, clearly disgusted at all the wasted opportunities currently playing in his mind.

Gus is sure he remembers each and every one. 

But there's no point in lamenting over lost time. 

"No. I would've minded if we were _pretending_ to date. But since we're _actually_ dating, it's fine."

As dramatic as ever, Shawn does a double-take. 

"We're actually dating?" he says in disbelief. 

Gus picks up the napkin in front of him and drapes it across his lap nonchalantly. 

"That's what I said."

"Since when?!" Shawn demands. 

"Since now. This is our first date," Gus shrugs. 

"You can't just tell someone you're dating them and expect them to accept it!" Shawn insists, kicking at the side of Gus' sneaker with his own. 

"Can't I?"

Shawn's mouth hangs open in silent indignance for a moment. 

"You wouldn't accept it if I did it to you!"

"Wouldn't I?" Gus challenges. They both know that Shawn can convince him to go along with almost every one of his harebrained schemes. 

"You mean that would've worked?! All these years, the one thing I tried to respect your wishes on and I shouldn't have?!" 

Gus shrugs.

Shawn _tsks_ in disgust. 

"That settles it. I'm never trying that again. Clearly it only results in a ridiculous amount of lollygagging," he scoffs. 

"That's not a lesson you're supposed to be taking from this, Shawn."

"Too bad, that's all I've learned," Shawn replies, with a careless shrug. Turnabout's fair play. 

Gus purses his lips, but when Shawn sees that as an excuse to kiss him, well. 

He doesn't complain. 

On the other side of the diner, an irate Head Detective groans and flags down a passing server. 

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to get this to go," he informs her with a sigh, wondering when he will once again know peace. 

**Author's Note:**

> I love red hair btw. <3   
> Title is from a John Cusack movie, 'cause it seemed appropriate. (Really struggled with this title tbqh. Hope it's not awful.)  
> Yes, both of my Shus fics so far have been rather angsty. And what of it.  
> Also, a friend of mine said Psych was "terrible", and all she succeeded in doing was inspire me to finish this quicker out of spite. So, everyone say "thank you, Laura" lol.   
> Comments motivate me to write, so... take from that what you will. ;)
> 
> [Tumblr](http://whydoidothistomyselfandothers.tumblr.com/)   
> 


End file.
